Years ago I attended a weekend long seminar on “powerful living.” The course was The Forum, as presented by Landmark Education. I learned several tools on that weekend, and in the subsequent seminars I attended and the volunteer facilitating work I did with Landmark.
One of the best distinctions was delivered early on by the leader for that particular Forum. He gave us a useful way to think about all the ideas, and distinctions we were going to learn for that week. He said to think of the ideas/distinctions as a jacket we were trying on in a clothing store. Rather than just look at it on the rack he told us it would be easier to see if it fit by trying it on, walking around in the store, getting used to the feel, and checking ourselves out in the mirror. Then, if we liked it we could take it with us. If we did not care for it, we could put it back on the rack and go on our ways. And, if we changed our minds later we could always come back and try it out again.
That is a very simple, and profound distinction. It has served me very well in all facets of my life and allows me to not only fully immerse myself in a new concept, but to actually try it out as a functional part of my metal perception-scape. I can kick the tires, pump the radio, roll back the hood and drive it around the block. It also allows me the luxury of the flip-side of committed immersion – I can hold in my awareness the idea that t is just an idea and not get sucked into being a believer. Both sides of that coin are terribly useful.
Some of my friends have commented on my capacity to commit to an idea, argue it stringently with full conviction. I can then later drop the same idea without a backward glance. As well, I find this distinction allows me to pick parts of a concept that are of value when fitted into my belief system and outlook, and put the rest aside.
For this distinction, and a host of others, I will always think fondly of the Forum.
